by sb on 12/03/2010
(Virginia)
Update: This is now just called the US Cellular Rewards program. Some of the details below no longer apply, but do describe the program in general.
I just received some info from LaTrina Shepherd about the US Cellular Belief Project as well as about their updated prepaid plans. The Belief Project is basically trying to implement changes to various types of plans in a way that helps consumers while still remaining profitable for the company.
The first result of the project is a kind of hybrid between a contract and no-contract plan. You have a contract for the first 18 months, and then you go month to month. This would be the same with any other contract plan as well. Once you're off their contract, you earn reward points that you can then use for a discount when upgrading to a new phone. The twist is that you get the discount without having to sign up for a new contract. This might be useful for those more concerned about the term of the contract rather than the cost.
As for the news about the US Cellular prepaid monthly plans. These now range from $29 to $49. The $29 plan gives you 200 minutes and unlimited text, picture and video messaging. The $39 plan adds another 200 minutes and 5GB of web surfing. The $49 plan gives unlimited talk as well.